A clogged drain in an apartment is an unpleasant problem, but when the toilet becomes clogged, it is doubly inconvenient, since the task requires an immediate solution. Salt deposits in the pipes often cause difficulty in draining the toilet. This is due to hard water, urea, or some other kind of sediment deposited on the walls of the pipes and narrowing their inner diameter.

Salt deposits in the pipe. The "aesthetics of the frame" is accompanied by a corresponding smell

Advice! To find out the localization of the blockage, open the taps in the bathroom and in the kitchen (water sources in the common drain). If here the water goes into the drain freely, then the reason is in the toilet. If its discharge is slowed down everywhere, then the problem is in the common pipe. In this case, call the plumbers - it will be difficult to cope with the trouble on your own.

Attention! If you find a blockage in the toilet, do not empty the cistern, as its minimum volume is 3 liters. For reliability, you can turn off the water supply tap so that it does not flow to the floor when the drain is clogged. Use a bucket, pouring no more than 1 liter of liquid into the toilet for testing.

Cleaning risers, especially in old houses, is a job for professionals

Important. Prevention of salt formations allows you not to spend further effort on cleaning the pipes. It is enough to fill all the plums in the apartment with a special cleaning liquid once every 3 months at night.

However, the main reason for blockages in toilets is the residents themselves, who use the plumbing fixture as a garbage chute. And if a meat bone accidentally got into the toilet is easy to remove, then a rag or paper blockage will require some effort.

Tips for clearing the blockage:

• When replacing sewer pipes, install new ones of the same diameter, no less.
• When making repairs in the toilet, close the toilet to prevent debris from entering it.
• Don't be lazy to throw away trash (pads, newspapers, cat litter, etc.) in the designated areas. So you will save your time, and you will not blush in front of the plumber.

How to unclog a toilet bowl yourself

There are several ways to unclog toilet blockages. Their effectiveness depends on the complexity of the cork: material, volume, time of occurrence.

Advice! Before attempting to unclog the blockage, remove the water from the toilet to the level of the drain. A rag, sponge, or rubber bulb (enema) is suitable for this.

Mechanical methods to remove toilet blockage

Important. The diameter of the plunger tip must be larger than the diameter of the toilet bowl drain. This is the only way to create conditions for the occurrence of a water hammer.

This simple plumbing tool will help you remove a small blockage in the toilet.

If the apartment does not have a plunger, then you can use plastic bottle, the bottom of which is cut off, and the lid is tightly screwed on:

• the resulting device is gradually introduced into the opening of the toilet bowl until the air in the bottle begins to push it back;
• with a sharp movement, the bottle is pushed all the way into the drain and immediately pulled out.

The generated pressure is powerful enough to break through the debris plug with two or three manipulations.

Plastic bottle + laws of hydraulics = homemade plunger

If the above methods did not help to fix the problem, then you can use household chemicals.

Clogging chemicals

Attention! If the connecting corrugation between the toilet bowl and the pipe is made of thin plastic, it can burst under the influence of boiling water. In this case, use warm water.

Attention! Before you decide to act drastically, pouring a solution of formic, hydrochloric or sulfuric acid into the toilet bowl, think about whether the agent will corrode the old pipes at the same time.

Professional plumbing cable

This is a special plumbing tool, which is a cable with a handle at one end and a nozzle at the other. There are many types of ropes (rope, spring, rigging, tension, etc.) with a diameter of 6 to 16 mm and a length of up to 60 meters.

For residential needs, a 5-meter Ø9 mm cable is enough. The nozzle at its end can be in the form of a weight (for punching) or a spiral (for removing a blockage)

A problem like a clogged toilet is a common problem. It can be quite difficult to fix the situation on your own. However, if you know how the sewer system is arranged and what means can provide effective assistance in cleaning pipes, then it is quite possible to save money and quickly restore the normal operation of the sewer system, which is mandatory in every modern home.

So, if there is a blockage in the toilet - you will learn what to do from our article.

Quick relief for toilet blockages - hot water and soda

Two simple methods have proven effective in clearing minor blockages from pipes:

1. Before removing the blockage in the toilet, you need to heat a bucket of water to a boil and pour this water into the toilet, creating a strong pressure - the bucket should be raised so that water flows into the toilet at a right angle and quickly. Performing such simple actions allows you to effectively cope with simple blockages. In the event that the water after cleaning in this way begins to gradually leave, you should re-pour a bucket of hot water into the toilet bowl. If the blockage was small, then this method will quickly and efficiently help to cope with the problem.

Pro tip:

Despite the simplicity of performing the actions, eliminating the blockage of the toilet in this case will require compliance with safety measures.

1. Regular soda, familiar to every housewife, helps well when flushing the sewers. If, when a blockage occurs, dissolve ½ part of a pack of soda in the toilet, then the active alkali formed in this case can quickly correct the situation. As a rule, soda provides quick help if the blockage was not difficult.

Household chemicals for blockages

All educated modern people understand that an effective remedy for toilet blockage should be sought on the shelves of household chemicals stores. Special products in the form of liquids, powders, granules and sprays allow you to quickly cope with an unpleasant problem. In addition, the chemical industry produces various means for the prevention of blockages, the use of which makes it possible to control the condition of pipes and ensure a long period of their normal operation.

Tools to solve the problem of toilet blockage mechanically

Vantuz and its analogues

If boiling water, baking soda, and chemicals do not have a noticeable effect on the blockage, then before using a plumber to clear the blockage in the toilet, you can try using a plunger with a 10 cm diameter rubber bowl. To ensure effective work with the plunger, excess water from the toilet must be removed so that the water only covers the rubber part of the instrument.

Pro tip:

To prevent this part of the tool from getting stuck in the receiver of the toilet, use hammer nails, nailing the bowl to the handle of the plunger.

If there is no plunger, but the blockage still arises, in this case, you can use homemade tools, which, despite their primitive appearance, often turn out to be a very effective means of solving the problem:

• a plastic bottle cut from the bottom, which with the cut end is lowered into the toilet and sharply pressed on it;
• "Pusher doll" made of a stick and rags.

Plumbing cable

A flexible special cable, which is a rigid hollow shaft equipped with a rotating handle, is a professional tool that every plumber can find. At the end of such a tool, a pointed nozzle or a spiral process made of thick wire is fixed - this equipment allows you to destroy the blockage.

How to break through a blockage with it:

1. The spiral end is lowered into the toilet until it stops and the handle is rotated clockwise - thanks to such actions, the cable is pushed into the water seal.

1. The cable may bump into an obstacle. The options may be different:

• If it rests against the opposite side of the dish bowl (if the cable is not completely immersed in the water), then before removing the blockage, pushing movements continue until the cable slides along the inside of this section of the toilet bowl.
• If a vertical wall of the riser appears on the path of the cable, in this case, a cable is needed, the length of which must be more than 1.5 m.
• If the toilet has a direct outlet, then the cable is pushed along a horizontally located sewer pipe to the inner surface of the riser - difficulties in advancing the cable may occur if the cable tip bumps into a blockage. How to remove the blockage in this case? With movements back and forth, you need to push it into the riser.

As a rule, blockages in sewer pipes do not occur at the beginning of operation.

Pro tip:

During long-term operation of the system, it is necessary to protect the pipes from the ingress of debris. In addition, prophylactic cleansers such as Mole are effective.

To determine how to clean the toilet from a blockage, you need to have a good idea of ​​its structure and have simple tools to help you flush the pipes yourself. However, if it turned out to be impossible to restore the patency of the system on our own, then you will have to turn to the help of specialists.

A sudden blockage in the toilet causes a lot of problems. Since utilities do not always arrive quickly, residents have to take immediate action on their own. The information on how to eliminate the blockage will not hurt to know the property owners.

Before proceeding with the elimination of problems, you need to find out their cause, since it depends on what to do if the toilet is clogged. First of all, it is necessary to determine why this happened and what blocked the normal functioning of the system, because it is necessary to restore the movement of waste liquid through pipes and sewer pipes.

Blockage types

The following problems with drainage may occur:

1. Often, a situation occurs when biological waste, which is the result of human activity, does not go into the sewer pipe along with the flushed liquid, but, on the contrary, is poured out. This means that you need to make a decision if the toilet is clogged - what to do at home.
2. Events can develop differently. The problem is that the wastewater does not go in the usual direction, but begins to flow outward through the drain hole of the sink, bathtub or other plumbing fixtures. Usually this happens not through the fault of the tenants, the apartment where the accident occurred, but because the riser was hammered by the neighbors on the entrance, who live on the floor above. To deal with the problem that has arisen, you should ask them and find out if everything is in order with the drainage. When the riser is clogged, then only plumbers who have access to the sewer networks of a particular apartment building will be able to eliminate the blockage.

Causes of blockages

There are several reasons why the toilet is clogged:

1. The most common of these is jamming the bowl with a lot of paper. Often absolutely foreign objects get into the device - rags, children's toys, feminine hygiene products, etc.
2. Often, when the toilet is clogged, you have to decide what to do at home as a result of the fact that it is incorrectly mounted. The reason for the appearance of the problem is that when laying pipes, the angle of their inclination relative to the riser, as well as the optimal gap between it and the device, should be observed.
3. The absence of elements that equalize the pressure in the pipes during the drain process, such as valves or a waste pipe.
4. Ill-conceived design of plumbing equipment, if its manufacture was made in a handicraft way.

Toilet bowl cleaning options

The popular ways to eliminate the problem, what to do when the toilet is clogged, is to use:

• hot water;
• soda.

Hot water is used as the only option if there are no special means at home, and the toilet is clogged - the owner does not know what to do. To do this, you need to boil a bucket of water and immediately pour it into the bowl of the appliance at a right angle, acting quickly and thereby creating pressure.

If it becomes clear that the liquid is gradually leaving, which means that the blockage has been removed, in order to enhance the positive result, you can additionally apply another bucket of boiling water. This method removes small plugs well. Making these simple manipulations, you need to act as carefully as possible so as not to burn yourself with boiling water.

Using chemicals when the toilet is clogged

It is much easier to find an answer to the question of what to do when the toilet is clogged, if the hostess has specialized means at hand. In stores selling household chemicals, today customers are offered a huge selection of goods for cleaning pipes and plumbing fixtures. Also, if you do not know how to clean limescale in the toilet, you should use one of the chemicals.

They are sold in powders, granules, gels and liquids, not only in single-use packages, but also in large containers or packs that are designed to be used several times. These tools perfectly cope with the problem of what to do if the toilet is clogged.

At the same time, they still perform several important functions:

1. Plumbing is not only cleaned, but also disinfected.
2. Eliminate unpleasant odors coming from sewer pipes.
3. Maintain the drainage system clean.
4. They have a preventive effect on the surface of plumbing equipment.

Common remedies used when the toilet is clogged and what to do is clear, are the products of the following brands:

• Mister Muscle;
• Mole;
• Tiret;
• Domestos;
• Tofix;
• Domol.

In the process of using chemical compounds, they must adhere to the rules, if the toilet is clogged - how to clean the toilet. They are spelled out in the attached manufacturer's instructions. They should be observed so as not to damage the plumbing and accidentally get burned.

Be sure to use rubber gloves. People who are well acquainted with chemistry know if the toilet is clogged, then what to do at home with the help of various acids, such as hydrochloric, acetic, sulfuric, formic. But it must be remembered that aggressive solutions can damage old sewer pipelines and risers.

Mechanical methods for removing blockages

Toilet is clogged with paper - what if chemical products cannot be used?

In this case, mechanical options for cleaning plumbing are used, for the implementation of which special devices and various products are used:

• plunger;
• corrugation;
• rubber hose;
• plastic bottles;
• plumbing cable.

The plunger easily copes with uncomplicated and not too deeply located blockages:

1. The toilet is filled with a little water so that it covers the rubber element.
2. The tool is positioned so that the hemisphere completely covers the drain hole.
3. With a strong and confident movement, the tool is pressed in and released.
4. This manipulation is performed until the result is achieved.

Cleaning the corrugation is considered another effective method. When the device is attached to the riser with a corrugated pipe, then the question of what to do if the toilet bowl is clogged with paper and household waste, you can try to solve it by cleaning it. The pipe can be easily removed and if there is a plug in it, it will be possible to remove the blockage. Then the corrugation is returned to its place.

You can also use a rubber hose, but this method is both mechanical and hydrodynamic, since when using it, pressure and the effect of hot water are created:

1. At one end it is connected to a hot water supply tap.
2. The other end is lowered into the bowl as low as possible.
3. Hot water is started up with a strong pressure.

This way of eliminating the problem, what to do - the toilet is clogged, has worked well in combination with removing the clogging with chemical compounds.

Even an ordinary plastic bottle can help eliminate a blockage in a sewer pipe. When a blockage occurs suddenly, not everyone knows what to do if the toilet is clogged with paper and other garbage, especially in the absence of such experience.

If there are no special devices, you can take a plastic bottle with a volume of 1.5 - 2 liters. The bottom is cut off, and the neck is closed with a cork. The bottle is inserted into the drain with a cut downward and the movements are performed, as when using a plunger.

A tool such as a plumbing cable is rarely available to the owner, since plumbers use this device in their work. When using it, a sharp nozzle or a piece of thick wire is fixed at the end. The cable is immersed in the bowl of the device until it stops and the handle is turned clockwise.

This device is one of the best answers to the question of what to do - the toilet is clogged with paper. After using it, the system is cleaned with a special agent or hot water.

Plumbers help if the toilet is clogged

If a home craftsman knows how to deal with a blockage on his own, but the result is not achieved, then the help of a professional is required. Sometimes situations arise when a plumber needs to be called immediately.

Only he will determine why there is water in the toilet, despite all the measures taken. Usually, the riser is clogged below the floor level. Only a specialist can eliminate the flow of drains pouring over the edge of the toilet bowl.

Preventive measures

When the question often arises: what to do the toilet is clogged, you need to remember the rules for handling plumbing fixtures so as not to provoke unpleasant situations with clogging of the sewer system:

1. A foreign object must not be thrown at it. If one of the family members accidentally dropped something into the bowl, it is advisable to remove it immediately.
2. Do not throw food leftovers into the toilet, even when it is liquid. The point is that fats accumulate on the inner bend and form a cork over time.
3. When repair work is underway in the bathroom, then it is better to carefully cover the plumbing so that construction debris does not get into the device.
4. In order to prevent blockages, it is necessary to periodically use special means that will keep the pipes clean. When using them, you must adhere to the manufacturer's instructions.

Homeowners who have had to deal with the fact that the toilet is clogged - they already know who to call. Better than a plumber, no one can cope with the problem of clogging the toilet.

A modern dwelling, be it a country house, a summer residence or an apartment in a high-rise building, in order to achieve the maximum level of comfort, must have a properly, uninterruptedly operating sewage system for collecting wastewater. Such a system consists of several devices and, as in any complex systems, malfunctions can occur in it. And the question immediately arises, to? In order to independently cope with emergencies in the sewer system, it is enough to know a few simple techniques, for example, how to clear a blockage in the toilet.

Sewer system device

In general, the private water collection and drainage system consists of two large parts: internal and external. The internal system of arrangement is common for all types of dwellings, whether it be an apartment in a high-rise building or an elite suburban mansion. It consists of plumbing equipment designed to use hot or cold water systems. Such equipment may include sinks, sinks for kitchen utensils, bathtubs, showers and shower trays and various automatic devices, for example, automatic washing machines or dishwashers, as well as hygiene equipment: toilets and bidets.

In equipment for the direct use of water (sinks or bathtubs), after passing through the drain hole, water enters the siphon, which retains some of the contaminants and creates a water seal that prevents the penetration of air (and therefore odors) and sewage pipelines into the premises. In the toilet, the water trap is usually built into the structure itself and located inside the equipment. After passing through the water seal, the drains enter the receiving individual sewer pipe. A pipe with a diameter of 5 centimeters is suitable for sinks and a bathroom, but when connecting a toilet, a pipe with a large section of 10 centimeters is usually used. In the future, individual sewer pipes are connected to pipes of a larger diameter, and as a result, all drains fall into a single large-diameter sewer outlet pipe or to a riser in an apartment building.

Toilet bowl diagram

Repair and maintenance, cleaning of such an internal part of the sewer system is the responsibility of the owner of an apartment in an apartment building.

Sewerage scheme

Next, the outer part of the sewer system begins, which consists of sewer pipes and / or equipment for wastewater treatment. When living in a private house, repair or maintenance of this part of the system is carried out by the owner of the house.

Causes of blockages in the toilet

The main cause of blockages in the toilet is the violation of the rules of its operation. Remember that the toilet is not designed to dispose of large or water-insoluble items. In this case, it is better to use your regular household waste bin. If bags made of polyethylene, rags, or other insoluble objects get into the toilet bowl drain, there is a high probability that they will not pass along the bends of the toilet bowl drain or get stuck in the drain pipe. Remember this and do not clog the toilet and pipes.

The second main cause of blockages is build-up and deposits that accumulate on the inner surface of sewer pipelines. A well-designed and constructed sewerage system that operates on a gravity flow principle must have a self-cleaning effect. At the same time, new portions of wastewater are washed off and transferred to the main collector of solid particles that have settled on the surface of the pipe, remaining from previous drains. However, in some cases, with improper construction or use of the system, such accumulations and particles may not be washed off, but caught on roughness on the surface of pipes, especially at joints or bends.

A common cause of clogging is hair or hair from pets, which can form a "grid". Also, layering in sewer pipes can arise from animal fats or from chemicals or building mixtures dissolved in water.

Plumbing rope prices

Plumbing cable

Prevention of blockages in the sewer

In order to avoid the emergency appearance of blockages in plumbing equipment, including in the toilet, you should follow the rules of its operation and use them strictly for their intended purpose. To prevent blockages, sewer lines can be cleaned regularly. This is especially important for homes with older types of sewer systems formed from cast iron pipes. The inner surface of the cast-iron pipe has a rather rough surface on which various particles suspended in the effluent are intensively deposited. From time to time, such a sewer must be preventively cleaned. Cleaning the inner surface of the toilet bowl drain and the inner surface of the pipe can be done mechanically or chemically.

• When using the mechanical method, washing pumps are used, the flexible long hose of which is equipped with a special nozzle. Water enters the hose tip under pressure and it moves along the sewer system, destroying and washing away the formed layers.
• When using the mechanical method, special chemical solutions are poured into the sewer system, which dissolve the accumulations formed.

Mechanical and chemical cleaning methods can be combined. In this case, the cleaning of the inner surface is carried out using a nozzle and a pump, but not ordinary water enters the hose under pressure, but a cleaning solution.

Flushing the toilet

Removing a blockage in the toilet

If the preventive work did not help and a blockage has formed in your toilet, then it can also be chemically or mechanically. Such methods can be applied sequentially, as signs of difficulty in draining out of the toilet appear. "Z You can read it in our article. "

We clean the blockage in the toilet with chemistry

The simplest way to eliminate accumulations on the inner surface of the toilet bowl drain is to use ordinary boiling water. Hot water is a good solvent and in some cases it can help. However, please note that sanitary ware is sensitive to large and sudden temperature changes. Therefore, hot water should be poured into the toilet bowl gradually, similar to pouring hot tea into a glass beaker.

Pipe cleaners

Heat to dissolve frozen and accumulated waste water can be supplied in another way. To do this, you can use a construction hairdryer, which heats up a place with difficult passage of drains. As with boiling water, try not to damage the equipment when using a hair dryer. For example, silicone-based connector cuffs and lubricant can degrade when exposed to high temperatures.

A concentrated solution of soda can also help in eliminating the obstructed passage of drains. Knead half the pack with a bucket of water and pour it down the toilet. The resulting alkaline solution can destroy previously formed accumulations.

You can also use ready-made chemical solutions. In the assortment of household goods stores, there is a wide selection of household chemicals, including for cleaning sewer pipes. Such a solution can eliminate obstacles in the passage of drains. But when buying household chemicals, carefully read the composition of the product and the procedure for its use. It can be overly aggressive and destroy some areas of the sewer.

Table. Unclog a blockage with a dishwashing detergent.

Steps, photo	Description of actions
	Take some liquid dish soap and squeeze a few trickles into the clogged toilet. The product can dissolve fat - just like in the kitchen. Although instead, you can take regular soap (in the form of shavings) or shampoo. They are less effective, but they can work too.
	Pour one liter of boiling water into the toilet to revitalize the product.
	Then you need to wait a while - twenty minutes will be enough.
	Restart the water supply, flush the toilet. The method will help if initially the plumbing fixture is not too full - this way the tool will work more effectively.

We use mechanical cleaning of the toilet

If it comes to the fact that water does not pass at all in your toilet bowl, then it will not be possible to do it only in a chemical way, but you will have to use a full-fledged mechanical cleaning. Using plumbing cleaning equipment will allow you to either break up a blockage from several snagging fragments, or push or pull out a large object stuck in plumbing equipment or in a sewer pipe.

The most common way to mechanically remove a blockage in the toilet is to use a household plunger. This item can be purchased at any hardware store, it consists of a rubber or plastic hemisphere and a handle of various materials attached to it. The essence of the toilet bowl is to transfer pressure from the drain to the object that caused the blockage. The plunger is used as follows:

Cleaning the toilet with a plunger

Cleaning a clogged toilet bowl with a plunger

Often, to eliminate the blockage, only one high-quality plunger is enough, in more serious cases, you may need a plumbing cable (we will talk about this in more detail a little later).

Step 1. Avoid overflowing water from the toilet. If it does not go well after flushing, it is not recommended to flush it again - it is better to remove the lid from the drain tank, and then close the flap. This prevents water from entering the toilet from the cistern.

Step 2. Start preparing the premises. Spread paper towels or old newspapers around the toilet (in case a leak occurs). You can also turn on the fan to ease off unpleasant odors. It is also advisable to wear rubber gloves (preferably up to the elbows) and old unnecessary clothes. Just in case.

Step 3. Try to inspect the resulting blockage. If you notice any particular object, you can try to remove it from the plumbing fixture. If this object is visible, but it is impossible to remove it by hand, then the plunger can not be used - proceed to one of the more "serious" methods.

Step 4. Give preference to a high-quality plunger - preferably in the shape of a ball or with a special side at the bottom (to ensure better tightness). It is better not to use a cheap suction plunger, as there is almost no benefit from it.

Note! If necessary - if the plunger does not ensure tightness - it can be wrapped with an unnecessary rag. In addition, it is recommended to keep the plunger in hot water for some time before use in order to soften the rubber.

Step 5. Place the plunger in the toilet, blocking the drain completely. It is important that the instrument is located below the water level. Perform reciprocating movements - press in the plunger and pull sharply towards you. Act until the water begins to decrease. In the absence of solid objects, the blockage is likely to be cleared.

Step 6. Drain the water from the cistern to check the drain. If the blockage still prevents the free flow of water, repeat all the steps. It is possible that this will take a lot of time.

If large objects get into the toilet bowl drain or a solid blockage occurs, you can use a plumbing cable. At one end of it there is a handle that gives rotation to the cable. And at the other end, in addition to a sharp nozzle capable of destroying accumulated deposits, nozzles in the form of a spiral can be attached. It can act as a fish hook, removing an object that has fallen into the toilet bowl against the natural direction of the wastewater flow. In order to deliver the spiral nozzle to the place of clogging, the tip must be lowered into the drain and rotating the cable - pass it along the bend of the toilet bowl and along the sewer pipeline.

Cleaning the toilet bowl with a cable

We use a plumbing cable

Step 1. Such a cable, popularly known as a "hedgehog", is, in fact, a flexible wire that can penetrate long pipe bends. It is better to give preference to the auger cable, so as not to stain and scratch the toilet bowl.

Step 2. Place one end of this cable in the drain hole. Push it, continue feeding until the end of the cable hits an obstacle.

Step 3. Roll the cable, push it through the blockage. The latter needs to be crushed so that it passes into the pipe. This usually takes no more than a few minutes. After the water is gone, drain the water tank. At the same time, make sure that it comes out at the same speed.

Step 4. Clean in the opposite direction. In some cases, in order to skip the "hedgehog" in the other direction, the toilet has to be removed. But if you know that an object is stuck in the plumbing fixture, but the toilets have never been removed before, it is better to call a plumber.

Master Class. Cleaning the toilet with a wire hanger

Step 1. Take a wire hanger and cut it using metal scissors. Straighten the wire as much as possible. It is advisable that the hanger has a plastic cover, since the bare wire can easily scratch the plumbing fixture.

Step 2. Wear quality rubber gloves.

Step 3. Place the end of the wire into the drain.

Step 4. Treat the blockage by moving the tool in different directions. This will break through the blockage so that it can be washed away.

Step 5. Remove the hanger, restart the water supply. Flush the toilet at the end.

In the event of constant blockages directly in the toilet, you will most likely have to reconsider the procedure for using it, conducting explanatory work with households, or replacing the toilet that differs from the old one in design. Also, an incorrect supply of the sewer pipe to the equipment may become a permanent cause of blockages in the toilet. The pipe can be supplied either with an incorrect calculation of its slope, or equipment of an unsuitable section can be used. In this case, partial repair of the sewer system can eliminate the occurrence of blockages.

Video - How to clear a blockage in the toilet

A clogged sewer is a serious problem, especially if it is because of it.

In general, the elimination of such troubles is the priority of the plumber, but many people prefer to do this work on their own.

First, for the sake of economy; secondly, in order to do everything neatly: the invited master is usually not delicate and after him you have to clean up a lot of dirt. This material will tell you how to clean it.

To prevent these problems from occurring, it is important to understand what is causing them.

In city apartments, a traffic jam is formed by:

1. a rag or sponge that falls into the toilet while pouring water from a bucket;
2. large leftovers of food unsuitable for preservation. Tea brewing and coffee grounds are a serious danger, especially if deposits have already begun to form in the pipe;
3. remnants of building mixtures: plaster, putty, tile glue. Having a much higher density in comparison with water, they settle in the pipe, harden and quickly render the sewage system unusable;
4. toilet paper. If the pipes are new, it is allowed to throw toilet paper into the toilet - it disintegrates in water. But paper should not be thrown into the old sewer, probably already partially overgrown;
5. lime and other mineral deposits. They are formed by the salts in the water.

In private houses, errors in the installation of the sewage system are added to the above reasons:

1. the use of pipes of a smaller diameter than it should be. The uprights and the section of the lounger after the toilet should be laid with a pipe with a diameter of at least 100 mm;
2. laying horizontal pipes with insufficient or, on the contrary, excessive slope. In the first case, the drains move with a weak pressure and partially settle in the pipe, in the second, the water runs off too quickly and does not have time to wash off the heavy insoluble fractions, so that they also remain in the pipe. The optimal slope for sewage pipes with a diameter of 100 mm is 0.02 (2 cm per meter), the minimum is 0.012 (1.2 cm per meter);
3. installing the toilet too far from the riser. This distance is regulated by the norms and, according to them, cannot exceed 1 m;
4. lack of a funnel. Without communication of the sewage system with the atmosphere, the drains slow down either because of the rarefaction of the environment behind them, or because of their backing up by gases generated in the sewage system and septic tank;
5. freezing of the pipe. It happens if the outer part of the sewage system connecting the house with the septic tank is not deep enough. Freezing, it cracks and becomes permeable to the ground. The latter gradually forms a cork.

How to pump out water?

If the sewage system is tightly clogged, then the water drained from the tank will remain in the bowl. To start cleaning work, it must be bled.

It is convenient to scoop out the water with an empty plastic bottle of shampoo or dish detergent:

• the bottle is turned upside down and squeezed;
• immerse the neck in water and stop squeezing the container: in this case, it will take on its previous shape, and a portion of the water will be drawn in;
• place the bottle over the bucket and squeeze it.

This method allows you to remove water even from the siphon.

Blockage localization

It is important to locate the plug. For this purpose, check how the water leaves the washbasin or bath. If everything is in order, then the blockage has formed in the toilet siphon, outlet or cuff connecting it to the sewer bell. If the water from the bath also leaves poorly, the blockage is localized somewhere in the common pipe.

If the drains flow from the toilet with a fountain, then the riser is clogged. You should ask residents from the upper floors not to use the sewers and urgently call plumbers.

Cleaning

To resume the work of the sewage system, the following methods are used:

1. if it turns out that the blockage is up to the point where the toilet is connected to the plank bed, check with your hand (gloves should be worn) to see if a rag or sponge is stuck in the siphon. If you immediately stick your hand deeply, there is a risk of getting stuck, therefore you need to constantly check whether it comes out freely;
2. boiling water often helps to break through the blockage: quickly pour a bucket of boiling water exactly into the drain hole, wait about half an hour. Then they check the work of the sewage system. If the water began to leave, another bucket of boiling water is poured. In the case of a gradual improvement, continue pouring boiling water until the drainage system is resumed. If the toilet bowl is connected to the sewer with a corrugation, you cannot pour boiling water - its thin walls will burst. Hot water should be poured;
3. against a blockage that does not lend itself to boiling water, special household chemicals containing strong acids and alkalis are used: "Mole", "Flup", "Tiret", "Dometes", "Mister Muscle", etc. But if safety precautions are not followed, caustic compounds can harm health ... Therefore, you should work with gloves, do not inhale vapors, strictly adhere to the instructions on the package. For toilets with colored glaze, use special products with the inscription “For colored plumbing” on the packaging. Common chemicals can stain.

In the absence of "Mole" and other purchased means, folk are used, there are several of them:

In the presence of vinegar, the effect is enhanced by:

• put 1.5 standard packages of baking soda (750 g) into the toilet;
• 0.5 l of 9% vinegar is poured into the same place: the reaction begins with hissing and foaming;
• leave for 20-25 minutes;
• pour boiling water in a volume of 2-3 liters;
• expect a quarter of an hour;
• check the operability of the sewage system and if the situation has improved, rinse the drain with cold water.

Mechanical cleaning

A plunger is useful for mechanical cleaning. It is used if a blockage has formed somewhere in the lounger, and there is water not only in the toilet, but also in other appliances.

The plunger works through the drain hole of a sink or bathtub, that is, plumbing with a flat bottom, which must be partially filled in order for the plunger to pump water.

In this case, the drain holes in other appliances are closed with rags.

Using a plastic bottle

Installing a plunger in the toilet will not work. So if there is a blockage in the outlet or the connecting cuff, that is, before connecting to the lounger, this tool is useless. In this case, a homemade plunger from a plastic bottle will help.

A model plunger from a plastic bottle is made simply:

• cut the bottom from a 1.5-liter plastic bottle;
• the cap is screwed on the neck tighter.

Lower the device with the cut part into the drain hole filled with water and quickly move it up and down.

When moving downward, the air cushion in the bottle presses on the water and this pressure is transmitted in the form of a water hammer to the place of blockage. Eventually, it will be pierced by the swinging motion and the water will begin to drain.

Film plunger

South Korea's Pongtu Company produces a special hardened film that functions like a plunger.

The device works like this:

• the toilet is filled with water;
• from above the device is sealed with a film;
• the master rhythmically presses on the tape.

Pongtu supplies 2 disposable films in one package.

The advantage of this solution over a bottle plunger is that it does not splash. Wide tape can be used instead of Pongtu film. The strips are glued with an overlap and in several layers, so that a tightly stretched film is formed. Its edges, glued to the side of the toilet, are additionally wrapped with another tape.

Rope and "doll"

Professionals usually use a plumbing cable with a tip on one side and a curved handle on the other. Two people work: one rotates the handle, the second feeds the tool into the sewer. The rotation is necessary for the cable to pass the knee and turns.

From time to time, the cable is moved back and forth to stir up the blockage. After cleaning, it is pulled out little by little, wiping with a wet rag. If you do not wipe it, everything that the cable touches will be very dirty. Next, the sewage system is washed with hot water with the addition of technical soda.

In the absence of a plumbing cable, it is replaced with an electric cable with sufficient rigidity. To clean the plastic sewer, you cannot use a cable without a tip or with sharp ends of the wire sticking out to the sides: such a tool will scratch the pipes from the inside and they will overgrow with dirt.

Also, special care is required when passing the corrugation: it is easy to pierce. Another well-known instrument is the "doll".

This is how plumbers call a homemade punch for mechanical cleaning of the sewer. It is a fabric bag tightly packed with sand (an old sock will do) attached to the end of a long piece of thick wire.

Having disconnected the toilet bowl from the sewer, the "doll" is pushed into the pipe and the blockage is pushed towards the riser with it.

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How to clean the toilet at home? The answer in the video:

The listed methods help to cope with the problem in the vast majority of cases. If the permeability of the drainage system has not improved, it remains only to call the plumber. The master will use special equipment, which is guaranteed to provide a positive result.